Student's parents: No further action by Union County board in punching incident

NEW ALBANY – The Union County school board said tonight that it would not take further action against the person who struck a special needs student in February, according to the victim’s parents.
The board went into executive session at its meeting to hear from the parents of the student, a 16-year-old freshman who was struck in an apparently unsupervised study hall at East Union Attendance Center.
The student’s father, Brian Randle, said the attacker received a five-day suspension, which he called insufficient.
After the executive session, the parents said the school board had decided that because there was no “pattern” of physical violence by the students involved, it would not deal with the issue again.
The parents, however, said they would not let the matter die, citing their son’s fear of returning to school.
The meeting attracted a crowd of about 50 people who prayed outside the school district office before members began their regularly scheduled meeting.
The incident has been seen on YouTube and Facebook.
On Sunday, Randle said an appropriate punishment would include time at an alternative school and counseling.
“There is something inside a child that would make them do this. I think they need counseling. It wouldn’t hurt to make them do a little community service in a special needs facility.”
Randle said he has received an outpouring of support from around the country.